We've been operating for about the last year and a half. Before that, we were making chocolate on a smaller scale in our home kitchen.

Where do you live?

We have a historic home in Sudbury, and we built an area in back of the barn (to make chocolate).

How did you end up in this line of work?

My wife and I first came across bean-to-bar chocolate in Los Angeles 10 years ago. Prior to that, we mainly had chocolate made by the larger companies - with additives and flavorings. The idea that chocolate had its own flavor (was amazing).

What are two memories from your career that stick with you the most?

On our very first sourcing trip, we went to Central America to find cacao beans... They're really hard to find. (You have) to find people doing it at a really high level in order to make great chocolate. It was eye-opening.

I love the process of discovering flavors of chocolate. I spend a lot of time tasting and exploring flavor profiles. It may sound counterintuitive, but I didn't anticipate I'd spend so much time tasting chocolate.

What do you like most and least about your work?

It's extremely satisfying working with farmers and developing relationships... We've been working with a small village in Guatemala, and asked them what they need to improve their lives. They said they could use a new fermentation and drying facility... We ended up funding it.

(The worst aspect is) there's a lot of cleanup involved. Chocolate is very messy... We spend a lot of our time doing dishes.

What makes your business ununsual?

There are not many people doing this; nationwide, there are probably a couple hundred people making craft chocolate. You're developing relationships in far-flung countries, and the people there often don't speak English.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to start a business?

Really think about the economics of it. The thing about craft chocolate is that, to do it well, you have to invest a lot of time and money... it's a higher price than people are historically used to paying.